Refrigerator car



Oct. 28, 1941. K E. ZEIDLER REFRIGERATOR GAR Filed April 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l Afomey? Oct. 28, 1941. K. E. zElDLER REFRIGERATOR CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N A NN Filed April 14, 1939 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 REFRIGERATOR CAR Kurt E. 'Zeidlen lPittsburgh, Pa., assigner to Standard Railway Devices Company, a corpora- )tion vof Delaware Application April 14,` 1939, Serial' N0.267,789

(Cl. (i2- 17) Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities ata 'predetermined temperature. The essential features of a refrigerator car are aninsulated` body to prevent or retard ingress of heat during warm weather and egress of heat during cold weather and a cooling or heating meansdepending upon the prevailing outside temperature.

This invention applies particularly toA cars in which the cooling means, preferably containers for water ice, eutectic ice, brine or dry ice, are suspended immediately below the ceiling of the car. The lading is supported in spaced relation to the oor by a foraminous rack. Flues, pref erably associated with the side Walls of the car, communicate between the Yrefrigerant compart-y ment and the space under the floor rack to provide a path for the circulation of air. The path is from the refrigerant compartment downwardly through the aforementioned ilues, through the space under the oor rack, and upwardly through the lading compartment to the refrigerant compartment. v ,e

An objectof the invention is to provide as a cooling means refrigerant bunkers having a greater effective cooling surface than those heretofore used. The extent to which air may be refrigerated depends upon the area of cold 'surface exposed to the circulating air. By providing an ice bunker comprising a container and a subjacent panvwith a space'therebetweeml have formed an additional air flue not vfound in conventional bunkers and have thereforeincreased the refrigerating efiiciency.A l

Another object of the invention is to refrigerate the air by causing it to flow through the drippings of melted refrigerant. I have provided a container, a subjacent pan and means to direct the overflow from the container into lthc pan. The invention also includes meanstodirect the circulating air through the above mentioned overflow, thus providing additional refrigeration. It is a further object to humidify the air. It has been found that certain'types of fresh fruits and vegetables are preserved in better Condition if the air contains a largey percentage of moisture. Therefore, I 'intend that the above-mentioned overiiow should also humidify the air.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial transverse section of a refrigerator car embodying my invention.

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Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction.

Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections on lines 3--3 and 4-4 of Figs. l and 2 respectively.

My invention is shown embodied in a refrigerator car'having an insulated roof 2, wall 3 and floor 4. The refrigerant bunker is indicated generally by 5 and a hatch E is provided in the roof 2 for loadingrefrigerant linto the bunker 5. A floor rack supports a lading in the lading compartment 8 and provide-s a space 9 between the lading and the floor 4. A flue y||| associated with the wall 3 conducts air which has been refrigerated by the bunker' 5 to the space 3 from Where it is distributed to the lading compartment 8 through the oor rack which is foraminous for the purpose. The flue Ii! also Vprovides a drain for melted refrigerant to the ygutter |2 from where it 'is drained to the outside of the car by any suitable means.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bunker 5 comprises a containerl 2B, pan 2| and partition 22. The container 2|? is preferably formed with foraminous upper walls 23 and a liquid retaining lower portion 24. 'The ybottoms of the lower portion24 and pan 2| are preferably provided with corrugations 25 to increase the strength and rigidity thereof. The lower portion 24 of the container 2|) is provided with openings 28 surrounded by upstanding walls 29,

the tops of the walls 29 preferably being substantially level 'with the bottom edges of Vthe lowermost apertures30 in the upper walls 23 of the container 2|] so' that a liquidv in said container will overflow through both the openings 28 and apertures 30. 1

The pan 2| and partition 22, as shown in Figs.l

l and 3, are rigidly secured together, as by the nailing strips 34 and clips 35.l The partition22 is hinged to the wall 3 at 36 and the pan 2| is releasably secured by the clamp 31 to the up standing member 39 which is rigidly and permanently secured to the carl structure. The lower portion 24 of the'container 2|] and the pan 2| vare each provided with a means for draining,

said means being adapted to retain liquid inthe.

as shown in Fig. 3 to provide the passages 46 for tudinally of the car and spaced Vfrom Lthe container 20 to form the duct 48 and from the roof 2 to form an opening49. Air circulates upward-V ly from the lading space as shownl by the arrows 50 and follows one of three available paths to the flue I0. The air may circulate through the culate through the opening 49 and duct 48`t'ov the space 52 between the container 20 and pan 2|, being cooled by contact with the under side of the container 20 and with the liquid or refrigerant in the pan 2|. The air flowing through the space 52 is also cooled and humidied by overflow from the openings 28 or apertures 30. Still other portions of the air may flow through the duct 54 between the partition 22 and pan 2|, being cooled by contact with the under side of thepar12l.

In the modication shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the pan 64 is secured to the container 2|l`by the brackets 65, 66. The partition 22 is hinged to the wall 3 at -68 and is latched 69 toa bracket 'l0 secured-tov the under side of the pan 64. As shown in Fig. 4, the adjacent ends of the pans are spaced apart to allow passages 12 therebetween for air circulation. The partition 22 is intendedto function as a drip pan if required to drain overow from the container 20 and pan 64 to the ue l0.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modicationsthereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art. l

V1. In a refrigeratorhaving a` roof and a walli the combination of refrigerating means near said roof and a ue associated with said wall to conduct air from said means Ato the lower part of the car, said means comprising a container having a liquid retaining lowerportion, a pan spaced below said container to provide a space therebetween, a partition spaced below said pan to provide a duct therebetween, and means to overflow a liquid from said lower portion to said pan, the'elements being arranged so that air is refrigerated upon flowing through said space and said duct. f r

2. In a refrigerator having a roof and a wall,l the combination of refrigerating'means near said roof and a flue associated with said wall to conduct air from said vmeans tothe lower part of the car, said means comprising a container having a foraminous upper portion and a liquid retaining lower portion, a pan spaced below said container to provide a space therebetween, a partition spaced below said pan to provide a duct therebetween, and means to'overflow aliquid from saidlower portion to said pan, the elements being arranged so that air is refrigerated upon flowing apertures 3U and through the upper portion of the container 20, being cooled by the refrig-jerant therein. Other portions of the air `cirl through said space, said duct and said upper portion.

3. A structure as dened in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said containers arespaced apart to provide passages for air circulation and a plurality of said pans have contacting edges to retain liquid overflowing the edges of said containers.

4. A structure as dened in claim 1 wherein said pan and said partition are rigidly secured together and hinged to said wall.

5. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein ysaid pan is suspended by brackets from said container.

6. In a refrigerator, a refrigerant bunker comprising a container element, a subjacent pan element with a space thereabove for air circulation,

. means to drain a liquid from said container element to said pan element and a partition element spaced below said pan element to form a duct for air. circulation, said elements being arranged to direct circulating air through said space in con-V tact withthe liquid in said pan element and also through said duct.

7. In a refrigerator, a refrigerant bunker comprising a container having a liquid retaining lower portion, a subjacentliquid retaining pan with 'a space thereabove for air circulation, means to overflow a liquid `from said lower portion to said pan, said means4` comprising an aperture ina container wall, said pan extending outwardly be'- yond the plane of said wall to catch -the overowing liquid, and means to direct a flow of vair through said space in contact with the liquid in saidpan. l y Y. f ,f

8. In a refrigerator, a refrigerant bunker com: prising a container element arranged to retain a mixture of solid and melted refrigerant, a sube jacentliqud retaining pan element with a space thereabove for air circulation, means to overflow part ofsaid melted refrigerant from said con; tainerelement to said pan element, a partition element spaced below said pan elementto form a duct therebetween, said elements beingarranged to direct circulating air through said `spacegadrid said duct.

9. In a refrigerator car, a refrigerantrbunker t comprising spaced apart upper and lower portions-means to overflow a refrigerant from said upper to said lower portion, and means vcooperating with said bunker to form an air duct adjacent the lower part of said lower portion, saidl bunker and last mentioned means being arranged so that circulating air llows between -the upper and lower portions of said bunker and ,alsoflows through said duct in contact with the lowerpor-l tion of the bunker. j Y y 10. In` a refrigerator car, arefrigerant bunker comprising spaced apartupper and lower `portions, each adapted to retain a refrigerant, and` means cooperating with said bunkerv to formK an. air duct adjacent the lower part ofvsaid lower portion, said bunker and means being arranged so that circulating air ows betweenv the upper and lower portions of said bunker and `also flows through said duct in contact with, the lower portion ofthe bunker. y l

y KURT E. ZEIDLFR,.-` 

